Alaska cruise coming up, ridic expensive...looking for tips...

[ilovecraigandcooper]

We're cruising to Alaska this june and while I'm super excited I'm also stressing about the cost of it all. The cruise itself I have mostly taken care of. These are the things I'm looking for tips and advise on:

-We live in Georgia so obviously flying is a must. We have flown several times before but not in the last couple years and not since we've had kids. I was looking at southwest fares which weren't TOO bad. Isn't there some magical date to buy flights, like 12 weeks out or 10 weeks out or something like that that's supposed to be cheapest?

-We're flying into Seattle and staying 2 days before we embark and we've looked up some things to do there. (We're thinking of getting the city pass that has the space needle, aquarium, harbor tour and a museum). We also want to go to Pike Market. There's 15 of us traveling together so when pricing hotel/renting a house from vrbo it's much cheaper to do the house but I can't find anything close to downtown. I've looked at several hotels downtown. If you stay right in the city are a lot of things accessible by walking or is it more of a uber/taxi situation regardless?

-On excursions the ship ones are high (even higher than usual it seems). My husband had picked out one for himself that he's doing but as for me and our 9 year old and baby we're not sure what we want to do. Our ports are Skagway, Juneau and Victoria. Anyone done anything at those places that you loved that wasn't so pricey?

-And about the baby...*sigh* I don't know what to do about flights/car seats/etc. I'm not opposed to buying her her own seat on the plane. I think we have plenty of people (15) to pass her around to that she's going to be sitting in laps and I honestly think her own seat would be a waste...and I heard now flights only accept 'airline approved' car seats now which probably isn't what we have so I'd have to buy a new one...AND what do you do with the carseat in seattle? Do you carry it around with you? Do I need it? Is there public transportation? Should I just get a hotel that offers shuttle airport pick up/cruise drop off so we don't need the carseat? oh my gah, loosing my mind...HELP ME

Anyway regardless that I'm stressed I'm also excited! I'm glad that all the extended family is going. Alaska has been our dream for awhile now and it just came together this year! I know it'll be worth it, memories are everything

 

[gottalovepluto]

I wish I could help more but I've never been to Alaska or Seattle but here's my 2 cents on the baby- pass her around! 15 of you can most definitely hold your baby for a cross country flight and you might even make some relative's day that wants some extra time with her! Save money there for sure. (And, if she's just a bundle of screaming that day (I hope not! but life happens) you'd have to hold her anyway so no matter what her mood a seat for her would be a waste.)

I hope you all have a wonderful trip!! It sounds like it should be quite amazing!

 

[ilovecraigandcooper]

I wish I could help more but I've never been to Alaska or Seattle but here's my 2 cents on the baby- pass her around! 15 of you can most definitely hold your baby for a cross country flight and you might even make some relative's day that wants some extra time with her! Save money there for sure. (And, if she's just a bundle of screaming that day (I hope not! but life happens) you'd have to hold her anyway so no matter what her mood a seat for her would be a waste.)

I hope you all have a wonderful trip!! It sounds like it should be quite amazing!

THANK YOU!!!!!! That's definitely the way I was leaning but I think I just needed someone to say "yes, I think that's okay" hahahahaha

 

[disneedee]

you are going to have a great time! i love family vacations.
don't try to keep everyone together just meet up. fixed dining is great for that.
with that many people i agree with passing baby around.

we have done 3 of those alaska cruises. one of my best memories was the plane ride over the glaciers. we have booked all our excursion privately. we have rented a car but with that many people you may want to look for a mini tour bus and do a private excursion, tell them what you want to see and they will haul you around and tell you about things. we did the train ride in skagway, it poured the whole time, june is supposed to be drier than july tho. it was ok. and being together as a group was great. when you do a private group tour and split the cost it is not so bad.

the glacier park in juneau we saw bears. forest people were there keeping people from bothering them so that was good.

i can not remember what we did in victoria but my parents did a castle and saw rabbits all over the lawn.

if you have any shoppers it is always fun to go to the different tourist stores and get the free things. makes for cheap sovenirs too.

definitely check out the cruise critic boards for cruise, tour, recommendations. i spend a lot of time over there when planning a cruise.

seattle. it has been a while since i was there but but walking in down town is easier than driving. think there is a monorail too. if your in down town, pikes market can be walked to and i think the space needle you can take the monorail to. parking COSTS money at hotels or down town! the underground tour is fun. if you are not staying down town i would definitely do uber.

if you are comfortable with the southwest airfare then grab it. that lets you have luggage too.
if you had more time you could get the southwest creditcard and get some free flights with that but think you are too close now.

 

[ilovecraigandcooper]

you are going to have a great time! i love family vacations.
don't try to keep everyone together just meet up. fixed dining is great for that.
with that many people i agree with passing baby around.

we have done 3 of those alaska cruises. one of my best memories was the plane ride over the glaciers. we have booked all our excursion privately. we have rented a car but with that many people you may want to look for a mini tour bus and do a private excursion, tell them what you want to see and they will haul you around and tell you about things. we did the train ride in skagway, it poured the whole time, june is supposed to be drier than july tho. it was ok. and being together as a group was great. when you do a private group tour and split the cost it is not so bad.

the glacier park in juneau we saw bears. forest people were there keeping people from bothering them so that was good.

i can not remember what we did in victoria but my parents did a castle and saw rabbits all over the lawn.

if you have any shoppers it is always fun to go to the different tourist stores and get the free things. makes for cheap sovenirs too.

definitely check out the cruise critic boards for cruise, tour, recommendations. i spend a lot of time over there when planning a cruise.

seattle. it has been a while since i was there but but walking in down town is easier than driving. think there is a monorail too. if your in down town, pikes market can be walked to and i think the space needle you can take the monorail to. parking COSTS money at hotels or down town! the underground tour is fun. if you are not staying down town i would definitely do uber.

if you are comfortable with the southwest airfare then grab it. that lets you have luggage too.
if you had more time you could get the southwest creditcard and get some free flights with that but think you are too close now.

So much great advise! thank you!!! We've traveled as a "pack" before and the not trying to keep everyone together is the absolute gospel! Impossible with that many personalities! I'm trying to stress that to everyone in the group! Make your own itineraries and plans and when our schedules coinside great and when they don't, that's okay too! lol I saw that Harv and Marv come highly recommended as far as whale watching (which I don't think we'll do) BUT I saw they had mini buses that groups could rent so if we DID have similar things we wanted to see and do in Juneau that would be a good thing!

 

[disneedee]

we did do the whale watching some where. i had forgotten that. it was AMAZING. seeing all the eagles is fun too.

 

[MillauFr]

You can save on flights by signing up for multiple Alaska Airlines Credit cards and using the companion fare. You get to book a round trip ticket for $120. You also get 30,000 miles which you can redeem for free tickets. You also get free checked bags with the credit card.

 

[xlxo]

flying into Seattle and staying 2 days before we embark

To clarify.... what are your plans to get from Seattle to the cruise terminal?

• there's is 3 to 6 hours from Seattle to the cruise terminal with an international border with unpredictable delays
• some take the Amtrak train.... pay attention to how early you need to be there and how long it takes to get from the hotel to the train station
• Vancouver has hotels too. Staying a few blocks from the cruise terminal will yield savings and less stress about getting to the cruise terminal from a great distance away.
• Lots to do in Vancouver.... you may want to plan extra pre/post-cruise days.

 

[tvguy]

I've done 2 Alaska cruises. Everything is more expensive, just no way around it. We went HAL to save money.

 

[CoP Luv]

I would check your car seat. Most cars rats are airline approved. Are you planning on taking busses everywhere? If not, I would bring the car seat for sure. Some "shuttles" may not even transport a child if they aren't in a child seat.

 

[DaisyJ]

To clarify.... what are your plans to get from Seattle to the cruise terminal?

• there's is 3 to 6 hours from Seattle to the cruise terminal with an international border with unpredictable delays
• some take the Amtrak train.... pay attention to how early you need to be there and how long it takes to get from the hotel to the train station
• Vancouver has hotels too. Staying a few blocks from the cruise terminal will yield savings and less stress about getting to the cruise terminal from a great distance away.
• Lots to do in Vancouver.... you may want to plan extra pre/post-cruise days.

Seattle has their own cruise terminal where Alaskan cruises depart.

 

[disneedee]

if you haven't booked airfare yet, you do probably have time to do the alaska card, it posts quickly and only has $1000 minimum spend. actually you can get one for you and one for him. there is an annual fee. but that probably would give you enough points to fly 2 for free. you would be allowed one free suit case for everyone in your party. i'm not sure if the b1g1 $99+ coupon is available the first year. might take some conversations with alaska to get that to work with a child involved but bet it could be done. 1 card would be easier though if b1g1 $99+works 1st year. do one ressy with free, do other with b1g1 $99+.

 

[Ranger111]

Seattle is a walker's city. Do not under any circumstances, unless you like sheer terror and adventure, drive in the downtown area (of course, that could be said for most of the area from Lynnwood, WA to Tacoma )

Downtown hotels are expensive -- especially so in summer. You could stay a bit out of downtown on Aurora Avenue (Highway 99) in "north Seattle," but you are in a pretty sketchy area with "women of easy virtue" on the streets and folks in parking lots anxious to sell you all sorts of things not available at the local pharmacy (and some that are).

HOWEVER -- There are good properties on Aurora that make an effort to keep things safe and clean and you can save a bit of cash, so, if you go that route, research your lodging choice./

Myself, I like the Marriott Courtyard near the Seahawk's stadium as well as the Westin.

Space Needle -- well, you have to do it, but...See if there is anything good on at the Art Museum, check out the local theaters. Underground tour is O.K.

Finally, Pikes used to be great, but by the early 2000's it became almost impossible to move through it. Keep a hand on your wallet if you do go. I guess it is a must see, but go early as possible. If anyone in your group is scared in large crowds, leave them behind. It can be very, very challenging to move through the market because the crowds are so thick. Pick-pocket paradise.

Again, don't drive in Seattle if you can avoid it.

The cruise terminal area gets crazy on departure mornings. I may have missed it in your post, but I would advise Uber or a taxi for your arrival there. Walking would be great, but I assume you have too much luggage.

Oh, the locks tour -- it's a boat tour. Pretty cool.

If you really want to get far afield, You can take Amtrak from downtown to Edmonds, which is just up the coast hardly any distance, get off Amtrak and take the ferry across to Kingston, the ferry ride is only about 20 minutes each way and dirt cheap for people walking on the ferry. There is a nice beach area in Edmonds, and a great beach just to the north of the ferry dock in Kingston.

 

[FoundMyPrince]

We took an Alaskan cruise last June...fabulous! Most of our ports were different than yours. We did, however, port in Juneau...went whale watching. It was wonderful and worth every penny. We also walked the numerous t-shirt shops across from the port and walked to downtown. We were craving some free wifi...so we found the local public library! We spent a short amount of time calling family and sending some photos to fam and friends. We also went to the Red Dog Saloon where Wyatt Earp left his gun (it's on the wall)...good food.

 

[afan]

Again, don't drive in Seattle if you can avoid it.

Oh but the hills and one way streets are so much fun I love stopping at a red light going up hill on what seems like a 45 degree slant, thank goodness I drive an automatic. I only drive downtown when I need to and it's best if you already know your way around a bit, so I agree, you don't want to drive downtown. The hills in Seattle are worse than any hills I encountered in San Francisco. I also find SF to be an easier city to drive in because the roads are wider.

 

[Ranger111]

Oh but the hills and one way streets are so much fun I love stopping at a red light going up hill on what seems like a 45 degree slant, thank goodness I drive an automatic. I only drive downtown when I need to and it's best if you already know your way around a bit, so I agree, you don't want to drive downtown. The hills in Seattle are worse than any hills I encountered in San Francisco. I also find SF to be an easier city to drive in because the roads are wider.

Grew up driving in the Bay Area (which includes San Francisco). Seattle driving scares me. My son lives in downtown Seattle, so I am there four or five times a year. Last summer, I told wifey I was NOT going to drive up there unless she let me drive her Prius (automatic transmission). My car is a manual transmission. I was still scared that her Prius would not be able to start from a dead stop on a few of the streets -- 45 degree slant -- Heck they looked like 90-degree to me.

Anyway, again, you CAN drive downtown. You just like have to answer that old question -- Do you feel lucky, punk

 

[usnuzuloose]

Look at these sites, they may save you some money for things to do around the area.

Groupon.com
Livingsocials.com

just put in the city.

 

[hsmamato2]

Downtown hotels are expensive -- especially so in summer. You could stay a bit out of downtown on Aurora Avenue (Highway 99) in "north Seattle," but you are in a pretty sketchy area with "women of easy virtue" on the streets and folks in parking lots anxious to sell you all sorts of things not available at the local pharmacy (and some that are).

wait..... what is your opinion of the area near Holiday inn express on N Aurora Ave,near rt 99? is it like you describe? is that what you term north seattle?

 

[Ranger111]

That Holiday Inn Express is one of the bright spots along the avenue. If you are going to go that route, it is one of the top choices. The management seems to make an effort to keep it clean and keep away the riff-raff. Hey, even the luxury hotels downtown -- Westins, Marriotts, have trouble as Seattle has a large homeless population and while many of them are harmless, there are always a few in any group that make trouble and hangout in the areas near the large downtown hotels. So, yes, there are trouble spots throughout Downtown also.

When I stay at the Westin, which is in dead center downtown, there are plenty of people on the streets nearby that give me hesitation -- no different on Aurora. It's just that properties such as the Westin go to great lengths to keep their areas safe (Same for the Holiday Inn Express on Aurora and many of the others on Aurora also).

I guess the thing is that a few of the lesser motels on Aurora don't seem to make the effort to keep their places safe. And THEIR properties are the ones I am talking about.

The Holiday Inn Express does make that effort. And, there are others.

So, you can find O.K. places to stay on Aurora, so I over generalized in my earlier post. Just know, do your research before booking.

I did not want the poster to find the XYXK Motel on Aurora offering rooms for $30 and thinking they found a great deal without doing their due diligence -- and a low price does not necessarily mean bad, either. It depends on the management.

I guess it is sad, but once an area gets a bad reputation, it is difficult to overcome, even with great progress.

An article, which is now nearly nine years old, might give a clue on what some of the honest, caring business folks are facing as they try to revitalize the area -- the Holiday Inn Express is mentioned -- in a good way.

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/decades-of-decay-haunt-infamous-aurora/

 

[afan]

I did not want the poster to find the XYXK Motel on Aurora offering rooms for $30 and thinking they found a great deal without doing their due diligence -- and a low price does not necessarily mean bad, either. It depends on the management.

It's this especially, the non chain m/hotels, really anywhere along highway 99, which Aurora is in North Seattle, are places I would stay away from whether I was in Seattle, Tacoma or points in between. They are generally hot spots for prostitution and the like. I don't know if it's still there, but there was on in Federal Way, a city between Seattle and Tacoma, that used to advertise hourly rates on their sign. The cities have been trying to things up so it may not still be advertised.

Not this also isn't to say that there's anything wrong with places along 99, the airport is on 99 and that area is fine and has plenty of nice places to stay and I use the road weekly to get to the library, shops etc.

But there is a huge homeless problem here and you see it Seattle and the suburbs. They are working on it, or so they say. You'll see it but it shouldn't deter you or cause problems while touring the city.